1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus for home use for cleaning fabric or textile goods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional known techniques of cleaning textile goods or the like employing ultrasonic vibration are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. Sho-63-66372 and Hei-10-328472, respectively. In the cleaning techniques disclosed in those publications, articles to be cleaned (such as textile goods) are immersed in cleaning fluid and the transducer is also put into the cleaning fluid to transmit ultrasonic vibration generated by an ultrasonic oscillator to the articles, thereby to remove stains or dirty spots adhered to the articles.
Cleaning machines utilizing ultrasonic as disclosed in the above publications are, however, difficult to operate and difficult to put them into practical use in homes. More specifically, such an ultrasonic cleaning machine requires high electric power enough to obtain good cleaning power. Thus a power source and an ultrasonic vibrating section have relatively large weights, making the machine inconvenient for use.
Generally, an ultrasonic transducer of a higher frequency of the same amplitude provides higher cleaning power. However, at a high frequency, it is difficult to obtain larger amplitude. In this context, in designing an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, frequency is set in the tradeoff between amplitude and cleaning power.
Conventional cleaning apparatus mostly has a round front end surface. In designing a small ultrasonic cleaning apparatus with a low consumption power usable in homes, it is difficult to provide a round large cleaning area in consideration of output. This reason is that energy per area is reduced to lower performance in removing stains. If the round area is made small, the central part and the peripheral part come into contact with an article to be cleaned for different time periods, which produces unevenness in effect of removing stains according to positions. The unevenness results in reducing its original cleaning effect.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus in small size and lightweight, which exerts sufficient effect in ultrasonic cleaning with a low consumption power.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus which a housewife safely employs in home.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus including a transducer, for example a piezoelectric element, for generating ultrasonic vibration and a first horn for transmitting the ultrasonic vibration, the first horn being joined to one side of the transducer. The transducer has a consumption power set at 8W or less. The first horn has an area (S1) set at 0.07 to 1 cm2.
Thus in this invention, the area of the first horn set within the prescribed range allows the apparatus to be driven with a low consumption power.
Preferably, a relationship between a second area (S2) of the one side of the transducer and the first area (S1) is S2/S1xe2x89xa73.
Preferably, the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus further includes a second horn joined to another side of the transducer. the first horn of length A, the transducer of length B and the second horn of length C are set in a relationship of BC/3A xe2x89xa610A/ (A+B+C)xe2x89xa6AB/2C.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
Thus in this invention, the apparatus is efficiently driven with the transducer to which a low consumption power of 8W or less is supplied (the power is supplied to the piezoelectric elements, not to circuits).
Preferably, the first horn has a front end surface with a dimension ratio R, the dimension ratio R being set within range of 3xe2x89xa6Rxe2x89xa610.
Thus in this invention, the first horn has a flat front end , or front end surface in a rectangular shape, which end is made to form a generally right angle at the main axis with a direction to advance the front end surface contacted to an article to be cleaned, thereby being moved in a wider area to be cleaned. Further the flatness of the front end of the first horn concentrates ultrasonic vibration generated by the transducer on the front end surface, providing highly efficient ultrasonic cleaning with a low consumption power. In this invention, in order to employ without a cord for ease of use and to obtain a high cleaning power at 8W or less which can be supplied with a dry cell or rechargeable battery, the cleaning surface is preferably in a rectangular or elliptic shape.
The words xe2x80x9cdimension ratio Rxe2x80x9d means the ratio in length of a major axis to a minor axis or a longer side to a shorter side of the front end surface in ellipse or rectangle. In an elliptic shape, a shorter diameter is a minor axis and a longer diameter is a major axis. In detail, the longest axis in the major axis direction is the major axis and the longest axis in the minor axis direction is the minor axis.
Preferably, the first horn has a flat front end surface.
Further preferably, the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus further includes a guide cover enclosing the first horn.